Cyber Security Industry Day: Our Experience

Ryan Hardman: Finding My Path in Cyber Security

My name is Ryan Hardman, and I’m a second-year BSc (Hons) Cyber Security student. My passion for investigating and problem-solving led me to this course, and my previous career in the army gave me a strong foundation in technical aptitude and threat intelligence—skills that align well with cyber security.

Why I Attended the Industry Day

I first heard about Industry Day through emails from my Course Director, Pip, and Course Admin, Claire, as well as posters around campus. The purpose of the event was to hear from industry leaders, meet professionals from local companies, and get firsthand insight into career paths. Since I hadn’t yet decided which branch of cyber security I wanted to pursue, this was a great opportunity to explore my options.

My Experience on the Day

The morning was packed with guest lectures. Barney and Lewis from Pentest People covered penetration testing, followed by an incident response talk from James Salter. Josh from Claranet gave us a firsthand look at a day in the life of a security engineer, and Damian from West Yorkshire Police shared his experiences as a digital forensics investigator. The afternoon featured speed networking in the Great Hall, where we rotated around 13 different tables every five minutes. I expected to be more of a passive participant, but I found myself actively asking questions at every table. It was an eye-opening experience that really helped me feel more confident engaging with professionals.

How the Industry Day Shaped My Future Plans

The event helped me realise just how much there is to learn in this field and reassured me that I’m on the right path. The incident response talk in particular confirmed that this is an area I’d love to work in. I now feel more confident networking outside of university and know what to focus on for my final project and elective choices next year.

My Final Thoughts and Advice

I’d highly recommend this course to anyone considering it. From the engaging Hacktivity training lab to the realistic forensic examinations, and the friendly, encouraging lecturers—this course sets you up to engage with industry events in a confident, proactive way. My advice to future students is to take every opportunity to get involved, ask questions, and embrace the never-ending learning process of cyber security.

Maurice Pattinson: Navigating My Cyber Security Journey

Hello! I’m Maurice Pattinson, also a second-year student, studying BSc (Hons) Cyber Security and Digital Forensics. My love for computers and tech started as a kid when I got my first games console, and it’s grown ever since—eventually leading me to build my own computer.

Why did I Attend the Industry Day?

I attended the event last year, so I already knew it was a good opportunity to get a glimpse into different companies. For me, the day was about finding potential placements and understanding what different job titles really mean. I suffer from a bit of analysis paralysis because everything in cyber security seems so interesting! I was excited to see where this event might point me next.

The Experience on the Day

I was particularly interested in hearing about the future of cyber security, and it was fascinating to see how many companies are moving towards cloud technology and AI. That really stood out to me—being able to spot trends in the industry is valuable when planning a career.

The highlight of my day was talking to Joshua Moore from Claranet. He’s had several different cyber security roles—starting as a SOC analyst, then pivoting into penetration testing, and finally moving into incident response. Since I’m still unsure about which direction to take, I asked him if switching roles in cyber security was easy. His response really stuck with me: “Just start with what interests you—don’t overthink it. Even I still don’t know what I want to be.” That really helped me relax about my career path.

How has the Industry Day Shaped My Future Plans?

The day made me think about how important it is to showcase your work. It motivated me to make sure my projects are high-quality because they can be key in interviews. I also gained new ideas for side projects, like turning my Raspberry Pi 5 into a cyber “lab” to practice exploits and learn more in-depth security skills.

My Final Thoughts and Advice

Industry Day is one of the best ways to network and get a real glimpse of what working in cyber security is like. If you’re starting this course, my biggest piece of advice is to enjoy it! Things can get frustrating and complicated, but that’s just the nature of cyber security—it’s all one big puzzle. And once you solve it, the gratification is amazing.